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Taipei 101
Taipei 101, sometimes stylized TAIPEI 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center – is a landmark supertall skyscraper in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building was officially classified as the world's tallest from its opening in 2004 until the 2010 completion of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. In 2011, Taipei 101 received a Platinum rating under the LEED certification system to become the tallest and largest green building in the world. The structure regularly appears as an icon of Taipei in international media, and the Taipei 101 fireworks displays are a regular feature of New Year's Eve broadcasts. Taipei 101's postmodernist architectural style evokes Asian traditions in a modern structure employing industrial materials. Its design incorporates a number of features that enable the structure to withstand the Pacific Rim's earthquakes and the region's frequent tropical storms. The tower houses offices and restaurants as well as both indoor and outdoor observatories. The tower is adjoined by a multi-level shopping mall that claims the world's largest ruyi symbol as an exterior feature. Taipei 101 is owned by Taipei Financial Center Corporation. The skyscraper opened on December 31, 2004. It makes its first official film appearance in the 2025 Godzilla film, Godzilla vs. the Mysterians. History Construction (1997 - 2004) Planning for Taipei 101 began in July 1997 during Chen Shui-bian's term as Taipei mayor. Talks between merchants and city government officials initially centered on a proposal for a 66-story tower to serve as an anchor for new development in Taipei's business district. Planners were considering taking the new structure to a more ambitious height only after an expat suggested it, along with many of the other features used in the design of the building. It wasn't until the summer of 2001 that the city granted a license for the construction of a 101-story tower on the site. In the meantime, construction proceeded and the first tower column was erected in the summer of 2000. A major earthquake took place in Taiwan during March 31, 2002 destroying a construction crane at the rooftop, which was at floor number 47. The crane fell down onto the Xinyi Road beneath the tower, crushing several vehicles and causing five deaths – two crane operators and three workers who were not properly harnessed. However, an inspection showed no structural damage to the building, and construction work was able to restart within a week. Taipei 101's roof was completed three years later on July 1, 2003. Ma Ying-jeou, in his first term as Taipei mayor, fastened a golden bolt to signify the achievement. The formal opening of the tower took place on New Year's Eve 2004. President Chen Shui-bian, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng cut the ribbon. Open-air concerts featured a number of popular performers, including singers A-Mei and Stefanie Sun. Visitors rode the elevators to the Observatory for the first time. A few hours later the first fireworks show at Taipei 101 heralded the arrival of a new year. Reiwa Series Godzilla vs. the Mysterians One night, a strange power outage affected several countries across East Asia, including Taiwan where Taipei 101's bright lights turned into darkness for hours, until the power supply was restored in the morning. When Christine arrives in Taipei, various different shots of Taipei 101 were shown. Later on, during the Mysterian invasion of Earth, Taipei 101 remains intact while most of Taipei has been damaged or destroyed. When Godzilla emerges and fights Moguera in Taipei, a group of EDF soldiers began placing explosives in the basement, and detonating it to weaken the building's foundations, while Godzilla slammed into the building using his powerful arms. Taipei 101 resisted Godzilla's blows for several moments, but eventually collapsed and eliminated Godzilla's enemy. Features Height Taipei 101 comprises 101 floors above ground, as well as 5 basement levels. It was not only the first building in the world to break the half-kilometer mark in height, but also the world's tallest building from March 31, 2004 to March 10, 2010. As of April 18, 2019, it is still the world's largest and highest-use green building. Various sources, including the building's owners, give the height of Taipei 101 as 508 meters (1,667 feet), roof height and top floor height as 448 meters (1,470 feet) and 438 meters (1,437 feet). This lower figure is derived by measuring from the top of a 1.2 meter (4 feet) platform at the base. CTBUH standards, though, include the height of the platform in calculating the overall height, as it represents part of the man-made structure and is above the level of the surrounding pavement. Structural design Taipei 101 is designed to withstand the typhoon winds and earthquake tremors that are common in the area east of Taiwan. Evergreen Consulting Engineering, the structural engineer, designed Taipei 101 to withstand gale winds of 60 metres per second (197 feet per second), (216 kilometers per hour or 134 miles per hour), as well as the strongest earthquakes in a 2,500-year cycle. Taipei 101 was designed to be flexible as well as structurally resistant, because while flexibility prevents structural damage, resistance ensures comfort for the occupants and for the protection of glass, curtain walls, and other features. Most designs achieve the necessary strength by enlarging critical structural elements such as bracing. Because of the height of Taipei 101, combined with the surrounding area's geology—the building is located just 660 feet (200 meters) away from a major fault line—Taipei 101 used high-performance steel construction and 36 columns, including eight "mega-columns" packed with 10,000 psi (69 MPa) concrete. Outrigger trusses, located at eight-floor intervals, connect the columns in the building's core to those on the exterior. These features, combined with the solidity of its foundation, made Taipei 101 one of the most stable buildings ever constructed. During construction, on March 31, 2002, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Taipei; two construction cranes from the 56th floor, the highest floor at the time, toppled. Five people died in the accident, but an inspection showed no structural damage to the building, and construction soon resumed. Tuned mass damper RWDI designed a 660-tonne (728-short-ton) steel pendulum that serves as a tuned mass damper, at a cost of NT$132 million (US$4 million). Suspended from the 92nd to the 87th floor, the pendulum sways to offset movements in the building caused by strong gusts. Its sphere, the largest damper sphere in the world, consists of 41 circular steel plates of varying diameters, each 125 mm (4.92 in) thick, welded together to form a 5.5 meter (18 feet) diameter sphere. Two additional tuned mass dampers, each weighing 6 tonnes (7 short tons), are installed at the tip of the spire which help prevent damage to the structure due to strong wind loads. The damper has become such a popular tourist attraction, the city contracted Sanrio to create a mascot: the Damper Baby. Four versions of the Damper Baby: "Rich Gold", "Cool Black", "Smart Silver" and "Lucky Red" were designed and made into figurines and souvenirs sold in various Taipei 101 gift shops. Damper Baby, with its cute all-ages appeal, has become a popular local icon, with its own comic book and website. Structural façade Taipei 101's characteristic blue-green glass curtain walls are double paned and glazed, offer heat and UV protection sufficient to block external heat by 50 percent, and can sustain impacts of 7 tonnes (8 short tons). This façade system is therefore able to withstand up to 95 mm (4 in) of seismic lateral displacements without damage. Taipei 101's own roof and façade recycled water system meets 20 to 30 percent of the building's water needs. In July 2011, Taipei 101 was certified "the world's tallest green building" under LEED standards. Symbolism The height of 101 floors commemorates the renewal of time: the new century that arrived as the tower was built (100+1) and all the new years that follow (1 January = 1-01). It symbolises high ideals by going one better on 100, a traditional number of perfection. The number also evokes the binary numeral system used in digital technology. The main tower features a series of eight segments of eight floors each. In Chinese-speaking cultures the number eight is associated with abundance, prosperity and good fortune. The repeated segments simultaneously recall the rhythms of an Asian pagoda (a tower linking earth and sky, also evoked in the Petronas Towers), a stalk of bamboo (an icon of learning and growth), and a stack of ancient Chinese ingots or money boxes (a symbol of abundance). The four discs mounted on each face of the building where the pedestal meets the tower represent coins. The emblem placed over entrances shows three gold coins of ancient design with central holes shaped to imply the Arabic numerals 1-0-1. The structure incorporates many shapes of squares and circles to reach a balance between yin and yang. At night the bright yellow gleam from its pinnacle casts Taipei 101 in the role of a candle or torch upholding the ideals of liberty and welcome. From 6:00 to 10:00 each evening the tower's lights display one of seven colors in the spectrum. The colors coincide with the days of the week: * Monday - Red * Tuesday - Orange * Wednesday - Yellow * Thursday - Green * Friday - Blue * Saturday - Indigo * Sunday - Purple The adjoining Taipei 101 on the east side connects the landmark further with the symbolism of time. The design of the circular park doubles as the face of a giant sundial. The tower itself casts the shadow to mark afternoon hours for the building's occupants. The park's design is echoed in a clock that stands at its entrance. The clock runs on energy drawn from the building's wind shear. Interior Taipei 101 is the first record-setting skyscraper to be constructed in the 21st century. It exhibits a number of technologically advanced features as it provides a center for business and recreation. A 660-tonne (728-short-ton) tuned mass damper (TMD), located between the 87th and 91st floors, stabilizes the tower against movements caused by high winds. The damper can reduce up to 40 percent of the tower's movements. The TMD is visible to all visitors on the 87th through 91st floors. Two restaurants have opened on the 85th floor: Diamond Tony's, which offers European-style seafood and steak, and Shin Yeh 101 (欣葉), which offers Taiwanese-style cuisine. Occupying all of the 86th floor is Taiwanese restaurant Ding Xian 101. Din Tai Fung, several international dining establishments and retail outlets also operate in the adjoining mall. The multi-story retail mall adjoining the tower is home to hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants, clubs and other attractions. The mall's interior is modern in design even as it makes use of traditional elements. The curled ruyi symbol is a recurring motif inside the mall. Many features of the interior also observe feng shui traditions. Observation Deck Taipei 101 features an Indoor Observation deck (88th and 89th floor) and two Outdoor Observation decks (91st floor and 101st floor), all offering 360-degree views and attract visitors from around the world. The Indoor Observatory stands 383.4 meters (1,258 feet) above ground, offering a comfortable environment, large windows with UV protection, recorded voice tours in eight languages, and informative displays and special exhibits. Here one may view the skyscraper's main damper, which is the world's largest and heaviest visible damper, and buy food, drinks and gift items. Two more flights of stairs take visitors up to the Outdoor Observatory. The Outdoor Observatories, at 391.8 meters (1,285 feet) and 449.2 meters (1,474 feet) above ground, is the second-highest observation deck ever provided in a skyscraper and the highest such platform in Taiwan. New Year's Eve fireworks displays The New Year's Eve show in Taipei is hosted at the Taipei City Hall, which also provides a view of Taipei 101 which is lit up with fireworks. Another popular location for crowds to gather to see the fireworks display is the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. For the first three years (2004–2006), the annual fireworks show at Taipei 101 was preceded by the sequential display of numerals in lights on each section to count down the last eight seconds to midnight. Since 2007 the building has been completely darkened, then fireworks begin to launch sequentially from the lower to upper sections. Gallery Videos Taipei 101 New Year’s 2020 Full Fireworks Celebration （台北101跨年煙火秀 2020新年快樂） Taiwan celebrates arrival of 2019 with fireworks off Taipei 101 tower 2020 TAIPEI 101 NEW YEAR FIREWORKS (FULL VERSION) 4K. TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN 跨年煙火秀台北101 2019 TAIPEI 101 FIREWORKS (FULL VERSION) 4K. TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN 2018 TAIPEI 101 FIREWORKS (FULL VERSION) 4K. TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN Photos Taipei 101 (1).jpeg|Taipei 101 during sunset. Taipei 101 (2).jpg|Taipei 101 during New Year's Eve 2016. Taipei 101 (3).jpg|Tip of Taipei 101. Taipei 101 (4).jpg|Tip of Taipei 101 on a Sunday night. Taipei 101 (5).jpg|Taipei 101 viewed from below. Taipei 101 (6).jpg|Taipei 101 on a Monday night. Trivia * While not yet featured in a major international film as of 2019, in local productions it is fast becoming an Eiffel Tower-like cliché that the view from every Taipei apartment includes Taipei 101. * In the Reiwa Series' official website, it is stated that Taipei 101 was opened on January 1, 2005, while in real-life it was opened one day before, or December 31, 2004. * Godzilla teaming up with the humans to destroy Taipei 101 in order to defeat Moguera might be a reference to the 1994 film Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, where Godzilla and Land Moguera teamed up to destroy Fukuoka Tower to defeat SpaceGodzilla. Category:Locations (Meesmoth) Category:Real World